September 29, 2005

  • Another Week

    Another Week 9-25-05

     

    Well, another week has passed and life here in Zambia continues to be challenging.  This week 86 patients came to the clinic for treatment….people that we saw last week returned with whole families all with legitimate complaints.  A man showed up in a dilapidated wheelchair that took three people to push.  After giving him a new one, he smiled, uttered a thank you and said, “Now I will be able to go to church again!”  He rode off with his arms working hard turning the wheels and his congenitally deformed legs tucked up underneath.  Someday I have faith that we will see new legs form, but until then we will do what we can with what we have. 

     

    When we look at the whole vision, it is very overwhelming.  So needless to say we are doing just what God puts in front of us and believe me that is keeping us busy.  Out of necessity we have established clinic hours, even though we didn’t want to until we had our work permit in hand and Sal is primarily seeing the patients.  I just get called in for consultations, especially skin and wound care and whatever else Sal has determined I “specialize” in (like when the older women want to see the madam).  Diesel and Petrol fuel is scarce due to a problem with the one and only refinery in the country so our Lusaka trip is up in the air.  Immigrations in Livingstone has extended our visas until October 24th so we still have a little bit of time to wait until it becomes crucial.  Pastor Jerry is bringing my required paperwork to give to the Nursing Council, so the timing will probably work out perfectly knowing our God.  Screens are up on the security door and three of the seven windows here in the apartment.  We decided to use the remaining Velcro for screens in the clinic until more can be brought from the states.  There’s nothing worse than cleaning open wounds while trying to keep the flies away.  The second clinic room has been washed down, cracks grouted and is in the process of being painted.  The furniture that we had ordered (2 bookcases, 2 wardrobes and a clinic chair for patients) is ready and we will pick it all up next week.  We are also going to purchase chart supplies and a filing cabinet.  Our satellite TV was turned off due to a mix-up with payment of service.  So needless to say not only did we miss information about the hurricane that hit Mississippi and New Orleans, but we missed the coverage of Hurricane Rita as well.  After a day in this dirt and dust, you have to take a shower at night just to cool off and feel clean, so after a shower and dinner around 6:30pm, Sal and I settle down to a couple shows of the DVD series that we brought “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” (appropriate, huh?) and then lights out by 9:30 or 10:00pm.  This past Saturday I was invited to a woman’s meeting at a neighboring farm church.  Joanne and I both went and were asked to speak.  Joanne had a teaching on faith of a mustard seed and I shared about Sarah as a woman of faith out of Hebrews 11.  They asked me to come back Sunday to preach, so having promised God that I would do whatever He put in front of me, I said yes.  After praying, I felt led to share another message on faith and God blessed it.  The Zambian women had stayed overnight and it turned out the whole theme of the weekend was on faith.  Even the Pastor of the church had a message prepared on faith.  God is good. 

     

     

    Just pondering……….wherever Jesus went, He taught in the synagogues, preached the gospel of the Kingdom and healed the sick….teaching, preaching and healing…..

     

    a threefold ministry…..And all who came to Him were healed.